Salary negotiation tips?
1
Finance and tech sectors are cutting new hire classes in half meanwhile accounting firms are paying new hires as much as experienced hires. This inability to think dynamically or forward is why accounting firms get no respect in the marketplace. Just a bunch of old boomers who run everything based on accounting outcomes (history), not ongoing operations (future).
@EY3, please don't misunderstand my post. I wasn't saying that OP should go for 3% TOTAL increase. I said, no matter the offer, give yourself AT LEAST a 3% counter. So if you're currently making $70k, and they offer, $82k, go ahead and counter with $85k. That'd be over a 20% total raise but the counter is ~3%. By all means, ask for more if you feel it's fair, my simple advice is to at least ask for SOMETHING more. 3% as a baseline.
Personally, I think HR takes your current salary and multiplies it by a %. So I always 'round up' my salary to a better figure. I also check the median salary for the position I'm applying for or try to get a friend in the company to let me know salary ranges so I can negotiate.
Consider the other benefits (experience, bonuses, time, vacation, insurance) and decide if that adequately covers the gap. Also try to negotiate up more. If they keep pushing back make a decision to accept or deny.
However it goes down (whether you told them your previous salary or not), I make sure to counter with at least 3%. (As long as the offer is reasonable. If it's absurdly low, I'd make it known that my expectations were not met.) 3% doesn't sound like much, but it basically is what you'd expect your non-promotion salary increase to be. So in essence, you just accelerated your own salary scale by a year.
3% is trash for our industry.
look up Art of Negotiating alex Kouts
btw 3% is doo doo. at least 12% but id aim for 15+
@OP, if they aren't offering you what you want, you should thank them for the offer, tell them it was nice to meet them, but you are not interested because you need to make $x to accept the position. It's easier to just tell them what you need to make up front, though. I am looking to make $70,000. That way you don't waste your time with interviews for jobs where you'll be given a lowball offer. Set your expectation based on market data and an understanding that you have to bring something to the table.
@EY1 3% is the bare minimum. It's why I said, "counter with at least 3%." Raises in industry aren't as drastic as public and my reply was under the impression the OP was leaving for industry.
Don't tell your current salary if you don't feel comfortable.
My salary is personal if you are recruiting me you know full well what you are willing to pay and not willing to pay. You have a range already. Tell me what I am worth and I will let you know wether I agree. Asking me my past salary is trying to just give.me a percentage increase. Give the range you budgeted for the position and I will let you know if I fall in that range. When ask for your salary say I typically don't reveal my salary because it's personal. It will stump recuiter. Come back with a question "what's the pay range for the position you are recruiting for?"
I'm coming from a smaller market, lower COL. I know the range for this new market & I'm sure they are aware of the salary difference.
Their first offer was lower than expected and close to my current salary. My calculations & knowledge say they are off by at least 17%
What level are you? If less than 3 years in public, they typically don't pay that much more than you currently make
I read "Getting to Yes", and highly recommend it.
who is They?
I think it's just lack of negotiation skills. It's like the hardest game of poker ever.
In the DC area